For almost as long as there have been cameras, there have been people
trying to find ways to take photos with a third dimension. If you don't
have any 3D stereo photos yet, you might be interested in learning how
to take them – it's fun and easy! Skipping the somewhat dry
theoretical stuff (check Wikipedia), you only need to know this: to see
a 3D image, each eye needs to see a different view. So we need two
separate images, offset by a certain distance called the “stereo
base”.
To create two images, a proper stereo camera would be ideal, however, a single digital camera can be used if the subject remains still between shots (e.g. a landscape). With just a little practice, the photographer can simply shift the camera while holding it straight and level. This simple hand-held method of taking stereo photos works remarkably well and is often referred to as the “Cha-Cha” or “Rock'n'Roll” method:
Done – as simple as that! Just by shifting your weight from one foot to the other, you move your viewpoint by a few inches, enough to get the 3D effect. “Cha-Cha” refers to the side-to-side sway you do when taking the photos. As a coarse rule of thumb, you should shift about 1/50th of the distance to the closest subject. For example, if you are taking a photo of a person in front of a house, and the person is 5 meters (15 feet) away, then you should move the camera 10 centimeters (3 5/8 inches) between exposures (and the person must not move a muscle). <TOP>
With the advent of dirt-cheap digital cameras, another option has become available for all those not willing to “do the dance”: Buy two cameras and mount them side-by-side on some kind of bar or brace, with the shutter release knobs facing up. To take a photo, hold this rig in both hands and press both knobs simultaneously. You're not going to be able to take sports action shots, but with just a little practice, you can take stereo photos of people or objects in motion. Want an even cheaper method? Buy two disposable cameras and stick them together with some double-sided tape. Take a look at the results. Three of the pictures I took off a moving train, and they still look O.K. – try it for yourself, and have fun. <TOP>
You're probably not going to get perfectly aligned pictures with the “Cha-Cha” method, so you will need to do some post-processing of your photos. I highly recommend the excellent StereoPhoto Maker, a versatile freeware stereo image editor by Masuji Suto, which can automatically align your photos and mount them in the stereo window. For the record, I hate lugging special equipment all over the place! Most photos in the p2gStereoStage™ and p2gStereoPhoto™ applet demos on <proggies2go>™ have been taken with an off-the-shelf digital camera using hand-held methods. And thanks to Masuji's StereoPhoto Maker, they're perfectly aligned and cropped. You can also find a lot of interesting 3D photo stuff by browsing the offering of stereoscopy.com for tons of information about all things 3D. Don't forget the 3D Photography Websites web ring by RingSurf. This web ring, too, is a good starting point to learn more about stereo photography. <TOP>